The Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship and Al-Ahli Grp. Launch the Global Business Opportunities Program

19 May, 2009

Under the patronage of Princess Sumaya Bint El-Hassan, the Emirati Al-Ahli Holding Group has launched, in partnership with the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship (QRCE), the second version of the Global Business Opportunities program. The program aims to train a group of young entrepreneurs of various nationalities in order to prepare them for the launch of global companies. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of businesspeople, ambassadors and participating delegations from Jordan, Argentina and South Africa,

There are 25 young men and women participating in this program from Jordan, Argentina and South Africa. They will undergo intensive training for three weeks, during which they will be introduced to administrative, marketing, financing, financial and human resources skills, along with others, presented by the Cisco Entrepreneurship Institute at the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship. Participants will be divided into a number of groups that include different nationalities who will provide a complete business project in which the skills and ideas acquired throughout the program will emerge.

In her opening speech Princess Sumaya Bint El-Hassan who is a strong supporter to entrepreneurs in Jordan and beyond, expressed her pride in the regional and global initiatives launched by the Center with various institutions and companies, such as Al-Ahli Holding Group. Her Highness said: “The Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship, as a primary component in El Hassan Science City, has succeeded in playing an important role in the proliferation of entrepreneurship culture and training business entrepreneurs within a number of regional and global initiatives. It has also succeeded in launching the ‘Google Award for the Best Online Business Plan’ and is expanding its geographical scope to include numerous nations and continents.”

In a speech delivered by Mr. Mohammed Khammas, the CEO of Al-Ahli Holding Group, he stated: “The efforts in this program and other specific programs have the effect of offering a better tomorrow for youth who will lead the development process in their countries. As a private sector, it is our duty to cooperate with our governments, NGOs and various training and educational institutions to train and enable youth.”

Khammas added: “It is our duty to prepare the youth for the future. We must trust their ability to be creative and to develop. We must arm them with the tools and skills needed to launch their own projects and therefore enhance national economies and investment opportunities while creating more job opportunities as well.”

The ceremony included the participation of Joi Ito, the CEO of Creative Commons, who presented a motivational speech for participants in which he emphasized the role of entrepreneurship in achieving comprehensive development and the significance of creativity in the success of companies starting up and increasing their ability to compete in global markets.

The Director of Business Development for Google in the United Arab Emirates, Hosni Al-Khufash, provided a detailed presentation on the challenges facing entrepreneurs in their endeavors to establish global corporations, and offered solutions for these challenges.

Princess Sumaya concluded the ceremony by thanking the volunteers including trainers and counselors, and honoring the speakers and representatives of delegations participating from Argentina and South Africa. She urged participants to move forward in competition and working with a team spirit to create successful global entrepreneurial companies.

It is worth noting that the first version of the program took place in Argentina with the participation of 20 young men and women from the United Arab Emirates and Argentina. Preparations are underway to implement the program in Brazil and South Africa in an expanded capacity and with a larger participation of youth.